News and Thanet issues. Ramsgate Margate and Broadstairs are the three main towns on The Isle of Thanet situated in the far southeast of England.
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Thursday, 24 January 2013

Another Councillor Defection at Thanet District Council

This time it is Cllr Zita Wiltshire, she appears on
the council’s website just as an independent now, as does Cllr Ezekiel and as
did Cllr Gregory until he was reinstated to the Conservative group earlier this
week.

There is no comment from the Conservative Group apparently
Bob the leader is still awaiting a letter from Zita, who has told the council
she has resigned from the group, but doesn’t appear to have said why.Update;in view of the following Twitter exchange:

Shit is an English word that is usually considered vulgar and profane in Modern English. As a noun it refers to fecal matter (excrement) and as a verb it means to defecate or defecate in; in the plural ("the shits") it means diarrhea. Shite is also a common variant in British English and Irish English.[1] As a slang term, it has many meanings, including: nonsense, foolishness, something of little value or quality, trivial and usually boastful or inaccurate talk, or a contemptible person. It may also be used as an expression of annoyance, surprise, or anger, and has other usages as well.

I think you mean "quiet" but there's actually nothing to say as I'm aware of the real story, which is quite frankly no story at all. Meanwhile, over on Twitter, Michael Jarvis, has put the record straight on his last comments.. so back to erections in Westgate which are likely receiving more public interest than this!

Worrow would do himself a favour and probably get more support if he didnt keep trying to twist things as he has tried to do with Cllr Jarvis and putting his own personal issues ahead of his residents concerns at Council meetings. There was no justifying what he said, but something about this doesnt make sense. Gregory sounds in mid-sentence on the November Thanet Watch video.

Hearing the full voicemail, and seeing that it is so (a webcam video for example) would clear things up immediately and leave no doubt. Im not attacking Worrow but seeking clarification on the voicemail.

"Bob the leader" isn't exactly doing himself or Thanet Conservatives any favours either. Whatever the exact truth of the matter is, Gregory was instructed to have anger management counselling but refused, yet he's still allowed back.

I know this lady and it is a personal decision not based on some underlying association with the Worrow/Gregory saga as implied here. It does, yet again though, raise that questiion about people being elected to office under a banner and whether they should seek re-election if they suddenly change sides. My own view, save when very close to new elections anyway, is that anyone who changes their allegiance should be required by law to seek re-election if they wish to remain in that office.

No, that is what you are saying, Anon, not me. I am saying that, if you stand for a party, thus attracting the votes of supporters of that party, and then leave that party, you should be required to ask those voters if they still want you. Otherwise resign and leave standing again, if you so wish, under whatever banner you now represent.

Parties who do not stick to their manifesto frequently face the consequences at the next election. Very different to presenting oneself as one thing and then announcing you are something totally different, but if you prefer to have politicians having total freedom to rat on their electoral image, be my guest. It ain't my choice whatever party they first stood for.

As a fellow Dfl I recognise the rudeness as probably from the souff London area. Presumably your brain is constantly engaged, probably trying to work out what it is supposed to be doing after a top level education at Eltham Green or such like.

Peter Checksfield, as usual, is somewhat disconnected from reality and peddles his own imaginative view of the facts. Ken Gregory "had' anger management counselling as a condition of his readmission. At the same time TDC, found that Cllr Gregory had been acting on a personal basis and therefore no sanctions were available to the council.

And John Worrow could go on a "stop milking things and being an attention seeker course" which probably wouldn't work either... The point is that the condition of Ken Gregory returning to the Thanet Tories was that he completes an anger management course, which The Gazette claims he hasn't - and Moores claims they're liars.

Its a very thin line for a councillor to claim that they are speaking on a personal basis or as a councillor but in this case would cllr Gregory have phoned cllr Worrow if either one of them were not a councillor? I think not.

Wouldn't it be great if these rules applied to teachers, doctors, police and army officers etc. etc. Say and do what you like but do it in your own time and there can be no repercussions. Dream on. Professional people are expected to behave appropriately at all times. They can't be closet racists, sexists or homophobes and expect to retain their position. Presumably, lower standards are expected of politicians in Thanet. Who decided that?

TDC Standards can only consider complaints relating to Council business, therefore it couldnt consider the complaint about the voicemail because Gregory was calling in a private capacity to Worrow on a private telephone. It had nothing to do with the Council, even when Worrow went public about it. The police could act on it but Standards couldnt. The fact that they only knew each other as Councillors is irrelevant. What Council business was that call relating to?

Surely we can be closet anything we like. The trouble starts when we give vent publicly to our prejudices since one can no longer call a pillock a pillock if he or she falls into any of those groups, racial or sexual, who take offence easily. Having said that, and blessings for small mercies, I can still call my white heterosexual male neighbour a pillock without offending any law. How weird is that.

In my experience some people are only too eager to be offended. I suppose they feel that by taking offence they gain substance and increase their self worth; it is also exciting to be noticed. I've always been told that it's impossible to insult me because I'm too ignorant. Should I take offence at that, I wonder?

Standards decisions are a waste of time. Who makes the decisions? In the main Councillors with vested interests not to find anything wrong. A total waste of time. We all know that Gregory is only there for the expenses and should never have been selected by Sir Roger, especially after having mysteriously not been selected for a safe seat by his own Association. Why didn't he re-stand for St Peters. And no, I am not confusing Ian Gregory.

I guess the key problem here is one of communication, resigning from a local political group, particularly in a situation where no group holds the balance of power, is a serious issue.

It would seem inconceivable the Conservative group don’t know the reason for this resignation, so this leaves us all speculating as to why this information has been withheld.

Obviously resigning at the same time that Cllr Gregory is reinstated, combined with the fact that they are both councillors in the same ward suggests a connection.

Viewed from outside it certainly looks as though the Conservative group is coming unstitched.

This is what it says on the South Thanet Conservatives website: “Cllr Zita Wiltshire is a long-serving member of Thanet District Council and Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Council. She has twice been town Mayor. She has been a cabinet member and portfolio holder for housing and community services, a role which demanded a great deal of hands-on work in meeting with residents, developers, and other Councillors. She is a successful fundraiser, especially for causes relating to the protection of vulnerable people.”

But as I said this is about communication with the electorate, in order to maintain public credibility and respect, whatever reason for the resignation there can be no benefit in withholding it.

Well the lady councillor has told some people including Tom Clarke but does not think that the people that voted for her should know. Hows that for comtempt? As they say you can judge people by the friends they keep.

Well said Michael. What you got wrong, is that Gregory does't represent St Peters any more. Ian Gregory, Jason Savage and Zita Wiltshire are the Councillors and we never hear of any complaints. When Bayford's mate, 'hope you get aids' Gregory was the Councillor for St Peters, no-one ever knew where he was.

James why do you always try and defend the indefensible. Whether a standards matter or not, the man is an embarrassment. How can you and your colleagues bring yourselves to support such behavior. Your party should have expelled him but I suppose that would be difficult after only just welcoming him with open arms.

I don't support his behaviour and he's not been welcomed with open arms. From what we heard, he served his time and did the anger management course he was asked to do and has returned to the Group. Was it strong enough punishment? No, it should have been longer.

Peter, I dont know, but if Simon said he has, Im willing to go with him on it. If thats not the case, then thats a whole different situation. The Gazette isn't always good with facts, eg. claiming May last year I was living in Cliftonville, when I had moved out of the area over two years before.

We know how Gale feels and something like that should be shrugged off as being typical. Wrong but not really worth getting all upset about.

The following is from Simon Moores' blog and is an example of why rightly or wrongly, that Thanet Conservative are geting a reputation for being a bigoted bunch of anti-gays with one skin colour. Mr Worrow will split the vote and UKIP will win Birchington for KCC

COMMENT FROM THE FOOL'S BLOGAnonymous saidPerhaps in the name of equality and diversity we could have a heterocentric pride rally in Birchington to even things up a bit.

What is wrong with having a hetero pride rally? Would it be a hate crime to shout obscenities at those taking part in such a rally? I think not. But if the rally was gay or pink pride then the easily offended would shout "homophobia" at the slightest chance and the magistrates court would have to work overtime. Such is the world we live in.

How could one ever tell, Peter. Today, and particularly in the public sector, people from soldiers to civil servants are sent on diversity training. Doea it really make them change the views they hold on sensitive issues or simply make them aware they need to publicly suppress them so as not to give offence. I suspect it is mainly the latter.

As for Worrow, he sees every attack as prompted by homophobia when a lot of people, I suspect you included, are fed up with his attention seeking, distracting council time from its real purpose and general obnoxiousness totally divorced from his sexuality.

As for all the comments here about how anti-Gay the Tories are, this seems to ignore the fact that it is a Tory led government that is introducing 'Equal' marriage, something Labour failed to do in thirteen years in office, whilst Cameron's A list of candidates contained a diaproportionate percentage of gays. There are homophobics in both major political parties as there are in all walks of life. Indeed, there are probably more in the Labour voting working classes than in the enlightened middle class. It is not really a political issue but one of the public getting used to changing society.

At least I use a name and a Google account and so am both recognisable and traceable. You hide behind an anonymous label, have no idea what my views were on Section 28 and discredit your own comments by your gutlessness. Most people will, however, guess who you are by your style.

Anon 4:18, are you not aware that Michael's youngsters read this blog or is such language OK in the circumstances with Section 28 repealed? By the way, the block capitals are a dead giveaway not to mentioned the foul obsenities.

John Holyer is an example of white middle aged men that still can't get used to the fact that woman should be equal, for example. In fact he probably thinks that woman already have full equality.

The fact that he thinks minorities want to be offended speaks voulmes. The truth is when someone like Ken Gregory uses the 'N' word for example, and his mates blame the victim, people have a right to be offended. The problem with John Holyer he is still living in the 1900s. However, we mentioned Simon Moores' because he does not have ignorance or old age as an excuse.

I do know something of prejudice. In my teens a group of people set out to persecute me for being Jewish. I can still remember how this made me feel helpless because no matter what I did, good or bad, they would hate me solely because I was a Jew. I was not a Jew; I am a gentile and I told them this. I still to this day regret that I lacked the courage to let them believe that I was a Jew.

It's your chance again John with the pollution of the Manston aquifer. You said you didn't care even if there was no pollution and there is no pollution anyway. You're wrong aren't you. So very very wrong.

John H, they are tring to blame the victim in order to try and let their hate criminal colleague Ken Gregory off the hook. Another one of their colleagues has been done for drink driving and another is up in court soon!

Oh, shame, poor little John the victim. Of course he does not bring any of his misfortunes on himself with his inconsistency, party hopping and constant search for publicity. Most insults are provoked in the first instance by the so called victim.

Unbelievable - some people are debating the victim status of a certain councillor and up pops the Thanet bore with the Thor clean up. You simply could not make it up and it probably only happens in Thanet.

Anyone, please, how can one debase naming. Ay least a name enables others to follow a thread whereas so many of the anonymous contributions are only recognisable by their pet themes, e.g. monitors or homophobia, crass stupidy or use of block capitals. One even manages to combine the repetetive theme of pollution with both crass stupidy and insults and then has the cheek to call it debate.

I suspect that this is just one person or at the most two who is best ignored. When I lived in London there was a man who used to stand outside Tesco hurling insults at passers by. The troll on this blog is not disimilar.

thanks anon 3.56. Things were starting to look positive for us on David Green's blog, but now he wants to check what I say before considering whether to publish. I guess its a case of love has ended before its begun.........

I should expand....my question to Ramsgate Mayor David Green on his blog, was pertaining to issues regarding how my group has been "managed" over the years regarding our use of a stretch of seafront in Ramsgate. If my question had been put anonymously I daresay I would have got an answer, or at the very least my words would not have been filtered or blocked.

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Saturday for me was pure self indulgence, so first I went to Canterbury Cathedral, I have to admit that I find advent one of the hardest ...

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